When to service an AC, and what a real service actually includes

What should be on the invoice, and what "cleaning" often leaves out.

AC servicing in the Kingdom ranges from a genuine two-hour job to someone spraying water at the outdoor unit and leaving. Knowing what should be included makes the difference obvious, and it decides whether the unit reaches ten years or dies in five.

When to service

Twice a year for anything running through a Saudi summer: once in March or April before the load starts, and once in October after it. Units near the coast or a construction site need the outdoor coil cleaned more often than that; dust and salt both insulate the fins and drive head pressure up.

What a real service covers

Indoor: filters washed and dried, evaporator coil chemically cleaned, blower wheel cleaned, drain pan and drain line flushed and tested with water, and the fan bearing checked for noise. A blocked drain is the single most common cause of water dripping through a ceiling in August.

Outdoor: condenser coil washed from the inside out so the dirt exits the way it came in, fan motor and blade checked, and the electrical compartment inspected for burnt contactor points and swollen capacitors.

System: suction and discharge pressures read, superheat or subcooling checked against the charge, supply and return air temperatures measured, and running current compared to the data plate. Those readings are what tell you the unit is actually healthy, and they should appear on the invoice.

What is usually skipped

Pressures and current readings are the first things to disappear from a cheap service, followed by the drain line flush and the blower wheel. A quick rinse of the outdoor unit costs the technician ten minutes; without gauge readings nobody can tell you whether the system is undercharged.

What it should cost

A full service on a split unit runs 180 to 280 riyals depending on access and how dirty it is. Ducted and central systems are quoted after a look. If someone offers a full AC service for 60 riyals, they are washing the outside and nothing else.